Between January and July 2026, Ghana recorded 53,415 adolescent pregnancies, according to data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS). Alarmingly, 1,5
Between January and July 2026, Ghana recorded 53,415 adolescent pregnancies, according to data from the Ghana Health Service (GHS).
Alarmingly, 1,501 of these cases involved girls aged between 10 and 14. The figures, drawn from the Service’s routine Health Information System, reflect pregnancies reported at health facilities nationwide during the first seven months of the year.
Programme Manager for Adolescent Health and Development at the GHS, Ms Sharifa Mohammed, disclosed the statistics at a National Multisectoral Dialogue on the Reduction of Teenage Pregnancy held in Accra on Monday, September 14.
The dialogue was organised by MSI Reproductive Choices Ghana (MSIG) with support from the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
She explained that the numbers translate into an average of about 7,000 pregnancies every month among girls aged 15 to 19, a pace that approaches the national annual burden of more than 100,000 adolescent pregnancies. “Once we keep girls in school, we are bound to reduce adolescent or teenage pregnancies,” she stressed.
Regional breakdowns revealed worrying trends. The Savannah Region recorded 117.5 births per 1,000 adolescent girls, surpassing the sub-Saharan African average of 104 per 1,000.
In Bole District, the figure was even higher, with 230 births per 1,000 among girls aged 18 to 19. The Upper East Region reported more than 2,400 cases within five months, with Bongo District alone accounting for 522. Ms.
Mohammed noted that pregnancies were significantly higher among girls out of school compared to those still in the classroom, underscoring the impact on education, health, and future opportunities.
Since 2017, the GHS has implemented the “Safety Net” programme to support adolescent girls.
The initiative provides maternal and child health services, sexual and reproductive health education, psychosocial support, and referrals to social protection schemes.
Pregnant adolescents are assisted to return to school in collaboration with the Ghana Education Service, while those unable to continue formal education are linked to vocational and livelihood training.
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